PICTURE a police station in rural Sindh where the station house officer (SHO) answers not to the law, but to the local feudal lord. A poor villager’s complaint gathers dust, while the order of the wadera is executed without hesitation. This scene, sadly, is not an exception. It is the face of everyday governance in Sindh.

The police, instead of being a shield for the weak, have been reduced to being a private militia of politicians. The fate of officers rests not on merit or honesty, but on their willingness to surrender before demands, legitimate or otherwise, of the local lord. Those who attempt to uphold the law are swiftly transferred, disgraced or driven into professional ruin. Integrity becomes a liability; obedience to feudal authority becomes the only path to survival.

This servitude extends across govern-ment departments. The local power supply apparatus ensures uninterrupted electricity at the feudal’s residence, while villages nearby suffer perpetual load-shedding. School teachers are transferred at the whim of landlords rather than according to the needs of schools.

In every nook and corner of adminis-tration, the wadera’s shadow looms large. Some argue that civil servants ultimately report to elected representatives, and thus politicisation is inevitable. But when elected representatives themselves are landlords defending dynastic interests, democracy becomes nothing more than a mask for feudalism.

The way forward is clear. Civil service appointments and promotions must be transparent, insulated from political interference, and strictly merit-based. Officers should have the security that their service will be judged by perfor- mance and law, not by their loyalty to the local elite. Only then can they have a chance of acting as guardians of the people.

Sanaullah Mirani
Daharki

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025